New Blackberry Farm Luxury Destination Promises Sweeping Mountain Views

East Tennessee’s Blackberry Farm Proprietor Mary Celeste Beall today debuted the details for new luxury destination Blackberry Mountain’s two restaurants, in addition to an estimated opening date of February 2019.

Blackberry Mountain is located just miles away from Blackberry Farm on 5,200 acres, and in addition to the two restaurants, the property hosts lodging, an infinity pool, hiking, and biking trails, plus 2,800 acres dedicated to land conservation.

The first new property in over 40 years for the James Beard award-winning culinary destination nestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, Blackberry Mountain’s culinary team is led by Andy Chabot, Food and Beverage Director, and Executive Chefs Josh Feathers and Joel Werner. Feathers will lead the kitchen at Blackberry Mountain’s flagship restaurant, Three Sisters, and Werner will oversee the Firetower when Blackberry Mountain opens next year.

Three Sisters, named after the tri-peaked mountain sitting underneath the resort, will offer “innovative dinner menus” from Tennessee-native Feathers that draw inspiration from local cultivation, plus sweeping mountain views from the 221-seat dining room and the porch (open seasonally). Examples of potential menu items include a pumpkin a la plancha with black walnut butter and berry gastrique, or a pan-seared fingerling trout with marinated crawfish. Adjacent Whippoorwill Lounge will serve breakfast and lunch. In addition to Three Sisters, Feathers, who has been with Blackberry Farm since 2000, will also oversee the menu of packaged snacks, coffee and light refreshments for guests on-the-go, as well as menus for camping at Chestnut Flats and the preparation of live-fire trailside meals.

The Firetower houses a 72-seat dining room and intimate 13-seat bar with stunning views of the Great Smoky Mountains. Chef Werner has been at Blackberry Farm since 2015 and will oversee all-day dining at the Firetower. Operating from sunrise to sunset at the peak of the mountain (that’s 2,843 feet) the Firetower will offer breakfast, lunch, and snacks, with a menu including bowls, flatbreads, and mussels. The restaurant is built around a thoughtfully restored historic fire tower originally used by the U.S. Forest Service for scouting fires in the Great Smoky Mountains and provides unobstructed views of the surrounding area. Before or after dining, guests can climb the stairs to the lookout station for 360-degree views of the valley and neighboring states.

Food and Beverage Director Andy Chabot leads the charge with a focus on sustainable wines and winemaking practices, and the flagship restaurant is built around a custom-designed, subterranean wine cellar that features over 10,000 bottles. Three Sisters will feature a curated list featuring some of Andy’s personal favorites, including small, family-run wineries that make world-class wine without undue manipulation. Of course, both restaurants will feature selections from Blackberry Farm Brewery, plus some small-batch spirits.

The Beall family’s Walland, Tenn. resort property has long been known as a culinary destination, with The Barn at Blackberry Farm and its staff earning three James Beard awards between 2013 and 2015, including Best Chef: Southeast (Joseph Lenn, 2013), Outstanding Wine Program (Andy Chabot, 2014) and Outstanding Service (2015). Blackberry Mountain is located in Walland, Tennessee, seven miles from Blackberry Farm, and about 30 minutes from Knoxville’s McGhee Tyson Airport.

• Blackberry Farm Will Open Blackberry Mountain, Its First New Property in 40 Years [EN]
• Blackberry Mountain [Official Website]